Surprise me!

This blog contains some comments and observations about life in Portachuelo and in our house. 

 Marion seldom goes into the city.  I go about once a week to do buying for the school and the house.  Through the magic of cell phones I can call home from the new supermarket on the road coming out of Santa Cruz and ask Marion what she needs for the house or if there is something special I can bring for her.  Supermarkets here are laid out just like they are in the States but most of the products on the shelves are local or from Brazil and Argentina.  We have learned over the years to live with what we can get here and we live well.  Once in a while something appears on the shelf that invokes memories of life on another part of the planet.

Back to “What can I bring you from the city?”  I know she likes chocolate; there are many delicious chocolates available here.  Sometimes a bit of microwave popcorn, once in a while I find Pringles Potato Chips.  Sometimes she will say, “Surprise me!” Last week I found something new, something really exciting, a can of Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce. Guys if you want to make a hit with your wife buy her some cranberry sauce. 

This cat condescends to live with us and even on occasion allows us to touch her.  In the five years she has lived with us I have heard her purr once.  If she could talk she would say, “We are not amused.”  We named her Victoria.

Maybe we should get Gordo to the orthodontist but that is not one of our priorities.  It doesn’t seem to bother him and we have gotten used to it. 

A Weekend at Samaipata

On the way to Samaipata

Our high school spent a weekend in Samaipata, a town up in the foothills of the Andes.  Twenty students and four staff members went on the trip.  It was cold and rainy but they had a good time.  They stayed with Sarah, the mother of a fellow who lived with us over twenty years ago while he was studying at the Agriculture Institute here in Portachuelo. 

Samaipata is at an altitude of about 6000 feet

The group had originally planned to stay in a hostel.  But Sarah insisted they stay with her.  She runs a guest home in her house.  Sarah also did the cooking for the group.  Sarah is one of those people that you cannot out give.  She has a plant nursery in her home and specializes in bougainvillea.  Whenever we stop by she loads us up with plants. She taught me an important lesson.  Her philosophy is: if you are going to give, give the best.

My good Sony camera stopped working so I told Oscar to take pictures for me wherever he goes.   I picked up his camera at a pawn shop in the States.  He took some nice pics.

Portachuelo is as flat as a tabletop.  When the kids get into the hills they like to climb.

Run down to the local appliance store and get one of these in your kitchen.  The griddle is made from the disk of a plow and the fire box is the rim from a tire.
 Sarah made some delicious corn cakes and sent some back to us.

El Vivero Sarita, the Sarah Nursery

Samaipata is known for these pre Inca ruins.  You can see part of the carved rock behind the kids on the lookout tower.

On the way home they only had time for a quick stop at Cuevas.  

No time for swimming, just a hike up to Third Falls.

Praise the Lord for a good safe trip and good conduct on the part of the students.